Firies feeling confident

Firefighters
are feeling confident they can contain a blaze at Devil's Pass between Jugiong
and Yass and stop it from jumping the Yass River and encroaching on Yass
township.

The Cobbler's Road fire has remained a safe 11
kilometres away from the town throughout the afternoon and evacuations are not
foreseeable.

Rural Fire Service spokesman Peter Dyce said
aerial water bombers were currently in the area and a task force from Crookwell
had been deployed for assistance.

It was not known if the water bombers contained
fire retardant.

He allayed concerns the fire had broken
containment lines and jumped the Yass River towards town at about 3.30pm today.
There had, however, been a small outbreak on the opposite side of the
north-north east part of the Pass, which had since been contained.

New containment lines were now in place.

"It was on the ridges and started to sneak
down the river," he said. But fire crews had responded quickly and
successfully.

He said a task force from Crookwell had been
deployed at about 3pm in anticipation of such an outbreak.

If the fire had broken through the containment
line at the river, it would most likely have moved in a north-east direction,
"but at this stage, it's not going anywhere," Mr Dyce said.

"It's still 11 kilometres away and hasn't
moved at all since we last spoke."

He also confirmed Black Range Road residents were
not being evacuated or asked to leave. He did not believe they had been asked
to last night either, despite unconfirmed reports.

"Everything is looking pretty good at the
moment."

"We hope to get [the fire] down to where it's
reasonable safe and blacked out before Saturday," he said. Saturday is
when the next weather change is expected to move through the area.